Iparralde: "North-side" of the Basque Country

IPARRALDE (“the North Side”) is the Basque name for the three historical regions that lie north of the Pyrenees Mountains: Lapurdi, Benafarroa and Zuberoa. These three are in what today is France; the Hegoalde or Southern side of the Basque Country is comprised of four historical regions (Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa & Nafarroa) that are today in Spain. The historical origins of this division reaches back centuries.

For a time the Basque region was at least nominally unified by the Kingdom of Navarre, but in 1512 the southern part of this kingdom was conquered by the Crown of Castile and thus became part of newly emerging Spanish state. (See www.nabarralde.com).

The northern part (“Iparralde”) remained independent a few more generations until it was joined with France in a personal union in 1589 when King Henry III of Navarre inherited the French throne as Henry IV of France, and in 1620 it was merged into the Kingdom of France. These northern regions continued to enjoy enjoyed autonomy until the powerful centralizing influences of the French Revolution consolidated France.